Louros Spined Loach

Cobitis hellenica is a species of ray-finned fish in the true loach family (Cobitidae). It is endemic to Greece.^[2]

It belongs to the subgenus Bicanestrinia, together with C. arachthosensis, C. meridionalis and C. trichonica. According to cladistic analysis of DNA sequence data (nDNA RAG-1 and S7 ribosomal protein intron 1, and mtDNA cytochrome b), the first of these is an extremely close relative and might arguably be included in the present species. C. arachthosensis is only found in the Arachthos River basin, parapatric to the range of C. hellenica.^[3]

Its natural habitats are the Louros and Thyamis River basins. It is threatened by habitat loss.^[4]

Footnotes

References

• Crivelli, A.J. (2006). "Cobitis arachthosensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2006: e.T61290A12449916. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T61290A12449916.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
• Crivelli, A.J. (2006). "Cobitis hellenica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2006: e.T5032A11108830. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T5032A11108830.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
• FishBase (2008): Cobitis species. Version of 2008-MAY-03. Retrieved 2008-AUG-15.
• Perdices, Anabel; Bohlen, Jörg & Doadrio, Ignacio (2008): The molecular diversity of adriatic spined loaches (Teleostei, Cobitidae). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 46(1): 382–390. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.007 (HTML abstract)